The present invention relates to a stackable vertical file cabinet. In particular, the present invention relates to a stackable vertical file cabinet having fully extendable drawers. More particularly, the invention relates to a fire resistant stackable vertical file cabinet having fully extendable drawers and a locking mechanism that is capable of remaining in a locked position even if the file cabinet is damaged by fire.
Vertical file cabinets typically include a plurality of individual cabinet housings which open at the front so as to receive a plurality of file drawers therein in a vertically stacked arrangement. Such cabinets are well known and typically use fasteners such as screws or other connection methods to assemble the individual cabinet housings to one another to form a vertical cabinet assembly.
However, existing vertical file cabinets have a number of drawbacks and deficiencies. For instance, the use of screws or similar fasteners to secure each file cabinet to one another to form a vertical file cabinet can be difficult and time consuming. In addition, the use of screws or similar fasteners makes it difficult and inconvenient to rearrange or customize the configuration of the cabinets to suit the needs of a user.
Existing vertical file cabinets also include drawers that are slidably positioned within the drawer housing by guide tracks that run on rollers or ball bearings. Also, the drawer assembly itself is made up of a number of parts that are assembled through the use of various tools and fasteners. The use of rollers and ball bearings and the need to use tools and fasteners to assemble the drawer assembly increases manufacturing time and cost.
Additionally, locking mechanisms used on file cabinets have a tendency to lose their ability to secure the file cabinet when exposed to fire. In particular, exposing the lock to increased temperatures causes the lock components to either melt or lose their structural integrity so that the cabinet drawer may be opened without regard to the locking mechanism.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a multi-drawer file cabinet system that allows for files cabinets to be securely and easily stacked upon one another without additional fastening members, while allowing for the file cabinets to be easily re-arranged to suit the needs of a user. In addition, there is a need for a drawer assembly that minimizes the use of tools and fasteners to reduce manufacturing time and cost. Further, there is a need for a file cabinet locking mechanism that remains functional even after being exposed to elevated temperatures. The present invention fills these needs as well as other needs.